Dear Cloud: The Other Blonde
by Satsuki Bun
Summary: What if Tifa chose a different ending with him? Follows the events after chapter 6 of "Dear Cloud," a twist to the previous story… CloudXTifaXRufus.
1. Chapter 1: Hero

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. FFVII belongs to SquareEnix :)

_Author's note:_ Hi all, here's something new that I've wanted to try ever since writing Dear Cloud. I'm a CloTi fan, so this is definitely a new experiment for me. Hopefully it works. :) This won't be a long story; I've pretty much finished it - unless readers are willing to read more... ;)

What if Tifa chose a different ending with "him"? Follows the events after chapter 6 of Dear Cloud, a twist to the previous story… CloudXTifaXRufus.

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**Chapter 1: Hero**

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**August 11, 0013: 1:18AM**

"I won't let tomorrow come."

The five words fluttered into Tifa's ears, dancing like a melody, surrounding her, engulfing her, drowning her, suffocating her. Muscular arms wrapped tightly around her, hugging her body against the as-hard-as-steel-chest, fingers clenched firmly around her shoulders. Her head started to spin wildly. It must be all the alcohol. Scenes from merely a moment ago replayed in her mind.

"_It makes no difference if Tifa doesn't feel the same..."_

"_Why don't you ask me that yourself?"_

"_... ...I thought I was just your friend..."_

"_...My heart felt like...twisting itself when I heard your voicemail...I...I wanted to call you...stop you. From getting married... ... ...I'm sorry... ..."_

"_If I'm getting married tomorrow, what would you do now?"_

"_I won't let tomorrow come." _

_No. No._

Tifa blinked, finally acknowledging the situation she was in. She was in Cloud's arms, a place she had dreamt of snuggling in. Two years ago. But not anymore. She shook her head against his shoulder. From this moment on, she knew she was completely over him.

"Cloud."

The blonde tightened the embrace.

"Cloud," Tifa tried again.

The man buried his nose into the soft brown hair. Vanilla filled his senses.

"Cloud, no." The barmaid pushed the man gently away, ruby eyes glimmering brightly.

"Tifa-?" Mako-blue eyes pierced through her, in pain. His fingers lingered on the woman's shoulders.

Shaking her head again, Tifa stared down at her boots. "No...I can't."

Awkward silence filled the air. The two childhood friends (lovers?) fathomed, welcomed the bittersweet truth of their feelings, sinking, absorbing, penetrating straight into their hearts. They stood like that for what seemed like hours until the door of the bar suddenly swung open.

"Hey babe -" The smooth calm voice stopped as abruptly as it appeared. "What the hell?"

Both Tifa and Cloud turned toward the swinging doors, where Rufus Shinra now stood, dressed in the iconic white suit, smooth blonde hair slicked back flawlessly, icy blue eyes burning with fire as he slowly grasped the scene.

"Rufus -"

"What the hell is this?" Rufus demanded, narrowing his cold eyes at the two.

Cloud dropped his hands to his side immediately, face pale. Simultaneously, Tifa dried her face hastily and took a step away from the spiky-headed blonde. Then everything happened so fast that all Tifa could see was a flash of blue right before her eyes. She fell onto the wooden floor roughly. Looking up, she stared briefly in amazement at the terribly poor martial arts skills the two blondes were employing...

Clangs, bangs, punches, kicks, slaps, shouts, yells, pokes. _Pokes? That's not martial arts!_

"Stop!" The barmaid clambered up and shouted again. "Stop it! Before I kick both of your asses!"

She threw herself into the middle of the tangled mess of arms and legs, hands reaching out toward the Shinra President.

"Stop! Rufus, please!" Tifa yelled, ruby eyes pleading, hands on his shoulders.

"You're helping this pathetic little man?" Rufus bellowed, pointing a finger at the other blonde.

Cloud growled, Mako-eyes burning with rage.

"No," Tifa replied quietly. Instinctively, her fingers reached out and dabbed the corner of the man's bleeding lips.

Immediately, the President softened.

"What was that -?" the man asked coldly, brows furrowed.

"I -"

"We were figuring out our feelings. With words." Cloud's voice was equally cold.

_With 'words'? _Something familiar scurried away in the back of Tifa's mind. She turned and noticed Cloud's lips were bleeding too. Her heart tightened.

"Hm, I was having the impression that you were trying to seduce my _fiancee_ with those sad eyes and lanky arms of yours," Rufus sneered. "Like I've said earlier today, Strife, I _will_ strike back if you insist."

"No, really, Rufus, it was nothing you were thinking -" TIfa tried again.

"Of course. With those lousy fighting skills of yours, I'm _terrified_," Cloud smirked.

Tifa felt Rufus' body stiffened.

"Is that so? Then we better have a go -"

"Now, stop it you two!" Tifa exclaimed, ruby eyes flashing dangerously. "If you two _insist_, I'll give both of you proper martial arts lessons! And I won't be easy on you either!"

The men tensed up. She may be a woman, but both knew not to mess around when it came to _martial arts_.

"Now, please, Rufus, would you mind if Cloud and I go out for a walk?" the professional martial artist asked calmly, red eyes boring into the light-blue ones.

"A _walk_ at 2 in the morning?" the man said wryly.

"Rufus, _please._"

The blonde hesitated. He knew that tone. Rufus may be Shinra President, always authoritative, domineering, and arrogant, but under that deadly stare of ruby eyes and menacing tone, he resigned. Sneering, he acquiesced, knowing that he could (and should) trust the woman. He gave a slight nod and turned abruptly toward the door leading to the second floor bedrooms.

Finally, Tifa breathed, never realizing she'd been holding her breath the entire time. Her red eyes gave Cloud a sharp glare, and she stalked out of the bar and into the night air. It was hot, but a soft night breeze blew gently, soothing her.

A short while later, Cloud appeared beside her. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

The barmaid sighed deeply and stared at the moon overhead, reminiscing so many years ago, under the bright moon, legs dangling under the well, a hero promising to save her whenever she needed...Somewhere not too far away, a stray Fang howled.

"Cloud, you were my hero," Tifa smiled softly. "You've kept your promise when we were fighting together. You've saved me countless times. I don't think I've ever thanked you for it."

Cloud shook his head.

"But these past two years...you've been such a disappointment," Tifa croaked. "My hero left me. When I needed him the most, he never came. He left Denzel. He left Marlene. He was our hero. But he left. Not that leaving is a problem, but you," she fixed her eyes on the Mako-blue ones, "you've completely ignored us, abandoned us." Tifa's voice went quiet.

"Why did I ever let you leave, I asked myself?" the barmaid sighed, exasperated. "I thought maybe I could be the kids' hero instead. I thought maybe I could save them, save myself..."

"Tifa...I..."

She shook her head, eyes closed, in pain.

"I...I thought I could lie to myself, that things would be okay. That you'd come back and visit. Visit the kids. Visit your friends. Visit me. But you never did. I've lost faith. I've lost _me_." The barmaid opened her eyes and faced Cloud, ruby eyes reflecting the bright moon. "But he found me. He saved me from a bottomless pit. He picked me up and gave me light. He was here. He was real. I was saved."

At that moment, under the white moonlight and navy starry sky, Cloud understood. The woman had a new hero. She no longer needed him.

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_Author's note:_ Ahhh I really wanted a happy Cloud, but, again, this is something new I'm experimenting, so hopefully it's realistic and believable. I've never written Tifa being with someone else before… :|

Oh, and I've finally managed to find out the official age of Rufus, during the events of meteor fall. I was rereading the translations of On the Way to a Smile: Case of Shinra, and found that Rufus is 25 years old. So my prediction was pretty accurate. Thus, in this story, Rufus is 30…


	2. Chapter 2: Leaving

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. FFVII belongs to SquareEnix :)

_Author's note:_ Thank you for the review! :) This is a mighty short chapter.

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**Chapter 2: Leaving**

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**August 14, 0013**

"You really are an asshole. You know that, right?" Yuffie snapped accusingly at Cloud.

"Yuffie," Vincent warned.

"It's true!" the ninja exclaimed, thumping her fist onto the wooden surface. "He asked for it!"

"Yuffie."

"We were all betting Tifa'd take you back, but, wow, she didn't. You asked for this!"

"Really, Yuffie. What's done is done. Tifa had made her decision," Vincent said ominously.

"Yeah, Yuffie, you don't need to throw a bucket of cold water at Cloud," Shelke added in unison. "Plus, Tifa and Rufus are happy. We should all just be happy for them."

"You shut up, little brat," the ninja turned to her friend. "You're always helping Shinra!"

"What?!" Shelke looked offended.

"You've always had a soft spot for the man!" Yuffie crossed her arms, glaring daggers.

"That's because you're always picking on him!" the smaller girl crossed her arms too.

"Wha -"

"_Enough._" Vincent's maroon eyes bored into the ninja's brown ones. She shrank back in her chair. Just a little.

The four friends were sitting around the coffee table in Barret's house. The AVALANCHE leader had enthusiastically invited Cloud over for a "little dinner," prepared by the gunman himself. Though the blonde had a sinking feeling about this, he couldn't exactly reject the offer, could he? Perhaps a few bites of the salad would be adequate...

"Hey yeh, 'nuff of talkin', dinner's ready!" Barret's voice boomed from the kitchen.

They got up and gathered around the dining table, plates and utensils messily arranged.

Yuffie wrinkled her nose as Barret emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of salad. "Something smells..."

"Tha'd be the - SHIT - the oven's on fire!"

"FUCK!"

An hour later, with windows widely opened releasing the burning smell, the five friends huddled around the small coffee table once again, all drenched in sticky sweat and smelling horribly like burnt barbecued-pork chops. The fan overhead spun lazily, providing a soft breeze in the thick summer air.

"Ugh." Yuffie took a great sniff of herself. "Yuck. I'm never coming to one of these dinner parties anymore, Barret."

"No one invited yeh!" the man growled, face reddening.

The others chuckled, grabbing slices of just-delivered-pizza greedily, feeding their growling stomachs.

"So, yeh, Cloud," Barret turned to the blonde. "I should, uhh, apologize..."

Cloud glanced up from his pepperoni pizza, puzzled. "Why?"

The big man shrugged and scratched his whiskered chin, grunting and mumbling. "Cuz I told ya Tifa still likes yeh...and that she'd...you know, want yeh back..."

Realizing what this dinner was all about, Cloud's heart fell. The man recalled the memory of the past few days. The pathetic midnight fistfight with Rufus, the bone-cracking handshake between the two blondes the day after, the engagement party where he was constantly cornered and threatened by Yuffie and Reno (why Reno, he had no idea), the various sympathetic I-feel-sorry-for-you-faces from his other friends, the delighted smile on Tifa when Rufus announced the official date of their wedding (which was at the end of the year), the woman's apologetic I'm-so-happy-with-him-face whenever they bumped into each other...

Yeah, he was a complete idiot for thinking even for a second that Tifa would take him back after all he had done...leaving, ignoring, returning, wanting...He shook his thoughts away bitterly. Yuffie was right; he deserved this, more than anything.

"No, it's not your fault, Barret. It was mine. I was stupid, foolish..."

"And a _fucking_ _moron_," Yuffie added, rolling her eyes.

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**August 15, 0013**

"Are you leaving already?"

Cloud glanced up from his duffel bag and saw Tifa smiling at him by the doorway, wearing a floaty summer dress that reminded him heart-wrenchingly of the blue dress she wore when she met him under the starry night so many years ago.

The man nodded. "Yeah, I've been away for nearly a week. I should head back."

"Cloud," Tifa took a tentative step, "where exactly are you going? You could stay. Really."

Shaking his head, the spiky-head replied, "no, I have work. I should go."

"You know, I was so happy you came. For the party, for everything." The barmaid fumbled her fingers nervously. She stared into the sea-blue eyes. "Thanks for coming, Cloud."

The man looked away and stuffed a pair of socks into the bag. "It's not much, really..." _Compared to what I've done for the past two years, this is nothing..._A monster screamed in anguish inside him.

Tifa bit her lips, ruby eyes scanning the pale face. "Are you going to tell me where you're going...?"

Zipping the bag, Cloud stood up and threw it over his shoulders. His Mako-blue eyes steadied on the ruby ones. "I'll keep in touch. I promise." He gave a small smile.

"If you say so," Tifa sighed.

Suddenly, strong arms embraced her. Tifa blinked, surprised.

"I will," the man whispered in her hair.

Tifa smiled into his shoulders and returned the hug, suppressing the overflowing tears behind her eyes. Cloud could feel the platinum ring on her finger, digging into his back. His heart cringed.

With everything that had happened in the past few days, Cloud knew he had to leave. Seeing Tifa's happy expression and a smile that never fade, he felt...appeased, in a way. Although he couldn't bring happiness to her, at least there was someone out there doing all he could to make her feel blessed, despite that he wished it was him doing the job. But again, he didn't deserve to be with her. And so, a part of him felt relieved, and the other part was dead.

He wanted to revive that part, the dead part of his heart. Eyes closed, with all his Mako-senses on highest alert, he captured the little bits of Tifa - the long chocolate-brown hair, the silky-smooth skin, the softness of her body, the bare shoulders beneath the straps of the cotton dress, the way their bodies locked together perfectly with their fitting heights, the calm rhythmic breaths, the slow beating of her heart...Taking one last breath of the sweet vanilla scent, he stepped away, leaving once again.

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_Author's note:_ Short story, the next chapter is the last chapter :)


	3. Chapter 3: Always

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. FFVII belongs to SquareEnix :)

_Author's note:_ Here's the final chapter. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Always**

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**December 24, 0014**

Dear Cloud,

Happy Holidays! Such a shame you couldn't join us for the winter party. Promise you'll be there next year, okay? Because Rufus and I are going to welcome a new member to the family...Yes, I'm pregnant! We're both super excited! And you're the first one to know. Are you up for the job of being our baby's godfather?

Hope you're having fun working (boo!). I know how busy it gets during the holiday, but remember, take a rest and eat more cakes. It's holiday!

Miss you loads. Denzel and Marlene said hi!

Love,

Tifa

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Dear Tifa,

Congratulations. Of course I'm up for the job. I'm more than happy to. I just hope I'm a good godfather.

Happy Holidays to you too.

Cloud

\*

Dear Cloud,

I'm sure you'll be a wonderful godfather.

Love,

Tifa

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**December 25, 0014**

Dear Cloud,

Tifa's preggers! Yippee! I'm gonna be a godmother, oh dear me!

Yuff

P.S. Oh, Happy Holidays from all of us! You're missing soooo much on the food! We've got a humongous turkey. Which greatly resembled you. You know, when you were sunburnt in the summer? Ha!

\*

Yuffie,

Good to know you enjoyed eating me. Happy Holidays to you too.

Cloud

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**August 9, 0015**

It was a bright Sunday afternoon, with clear blue skies, perfect for a summer picnic. A young couple strolled along the cement road in the Main Street Park of the Edge, a picnic basket in the man's hand. His blonde hair was slicked back carelessly, a few golden threads falling over his ice-blue eyes. He was dressed in a white teeshirt and fitting black jeans, an arm wrapped around his wife's bare shoulders, fondling her silky hair. The blue summer dress was a bit too tight for the woman, especially around the belly, on which she placed her hands protectively over. She tucked a strand of chocolate-brown hair behind her ear and smiled adoringly up at her husband.

The couple approached a red picnic table, the shade of a large oak tree providing shelter from the strong heat. The husband helped his wife settle down onto the wooden bench, placing the basket onto the table. Sighing in relieved, the woman relaxed onto the bench. Her husband smiled and sat across from her.

"What have we got here?" Rufus Shinra reached inside the basket and extracted some sandwiches. "Hmm, grilled chicken, my favorite."

Tifa giggled, but immediately squealed, hands over her bulging belly. "Ohhhh! The little monster's kicking me again!"

Afar, from an exceptionally large oak tree, a blonde with spiky hair sucked his breath as he watched the other blonde scurried to his wife's side, rubbing her overlarge tummy, murmuring soothing words. A moment later, the man stood up, grabbed a water bottle, and walked off toward the direction of a snack shop.

The spiky-headed blonde flipped his cell phone from his pocket and pressed a key. He stepped further into the shade. He glanced anxiously as the woman picked up her phone, expression full of surprise, which quickly turned into delight.

"Hi, Cloud!" Tifa beamed, face glowing.

"Hi, Tifa," the blonde replied, Mako-blue eyes examining the woman's porcelain face. She still looked the same. The same pointed chin, the same smooth skin, the same sparkling eyes, the same brown hair that smelled sweetly of vanilla and honey...

"How are you?" the barmaid asked. A diamond solitaire ring winked and sparkled as she rubbed her protruding belly, a most satisfied expression on her face.

"I'm good. How's the baby?"

"Oh, he's kicking me like mad!" Tifa giggled excitedly. "Rufus and I think he's doing martial arts routines in there."

Cloud chuckled, enjoying the singsong laughter of the woman.

"Really, Cloud, how are you?" his childhood friend asked softly. "When are you visiting? You better be here when the baby comes!"

"I will, I promise," the blonde smiled to himself. "After all, I'm his godfather, right?"

"Wouldn't it be funny if the little monster shares the same birthday with you?" Tifa giggled.

"Yeah, that'd be...cool," the man replied embarrassingly.

"So where are you now?" Her ruby eyes glanced around her, taking in the bright green grass, the wild dandelions, the orange and red butterflies hovering nearby, the singing birds, the blue sky, the soft breeze, the mighty large oak tree far, far away...

Cloud scratched his head and took a step deeper into the shadows. "Somewhere...far."

He saw the woman smirk. "Oh really, like you'd be in Edge right now, huh?" She rolled over eyes, shaking her head, a smile curling on her lips. "Anyway, baby should be coming any moment now. Just be ready to hop on Fenrir in the middle of the night, okay?"

The blonde nodded, his heart tightening. "I'm all ready."

"You know, Cloud," Tifa said softly, voice with wonder, "I feel like...you're always near me, watching over me. Funny, isn't it?"

"I know."

Because he was always here. Always.

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_Author's note:_ Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed/followed/favorite this story. This is just a little short story that I have so I hope you enjoyed it :)


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